European review of the year 2008

2008 was a turbulent year for Europe as a series of crises opened up new
divisions and reshaped the political map. It was also the year of Nicolas
Sarkozy, as Europe's crises became the French President's opportunities.

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Austrian Josef Fritzl fathered seven children with his daughterPhoto: AFP

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Barack Obama took Europe by storm on his European tourPhoto: AP

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Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic, one of the world's most wanted men, was finally arrested in JulyPhoto: REUTERS

4:28PM GMT 16 Dec 2008

Russia's invasion of Georgia over the summer propelled President Sarkozy, holder the European Union presidency, on to the world stage of shuttle diplomacy in Moscow and Tbilisi. But as the shooting stopped and the headlines faded, deep EU divisions quickly opened up between Germany and others, dependent on Russian gas and oil, and Eastern European countries that once lived under Moscow's rule.

As financial contagion spread across the Atlantic, the world was once again a stage for Mr Sarkozy, joined by Gordon Brown in the limelight. But as the glamour of G20 summits faded, again European divisions and German hostility over public spending came to the fore.

1) Sarkozy triumphs with Carla

French President Nicolas Sarkozy was struggling at the start of 2008. He began the year with the lowest opinion poll ratings of any French leader for 50 years. But Mr Sarkozy's marriage to Carla Bruni, a French-Italian singer and former model, in February began his transformation. The pair's state visit to Britain generated an international sensation, despite a Christie's auction of a nude photograph of Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy on the eve of the trip.

2) Financial crisis hits the EU

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The French President's meteoric rise saw him dubbed "king of the world" for his central role, as holder of the European Union's rotating presidency, in the global financial crisis as the banking meltdown spread from the United States, to Britain, Belgium and the rest of Europe. Mr Sarkozy's close double act with "flash" Gordon Brown led to new speculation that Britain might join the euro.

3) Rumours of a new Cold War

Many people described a low in Europe and Russia relations as a new "Cold War". Deep splits emerged in Nato and EU countries over a controversial US missile defence shield, to be stationed in Poland and the Czech Republic. In retaliation, Moscow threatened to target missiles at Eastern Europe. Russia's invasion of Georgia in the summer, gave Mr Sarkozy another global role brokering a controversial ceasefire that many saw as too soft on Moscow.

4) Obamamania

Barack Obama took Europe by storm at the start of the year with rock star style European tour which wowed the crowds in cities including Berlin, Paris and London. Obamamania continued unabated until his victory in November as many Europeans saw Barack Obama as a fresh alternative to an unpopular George W. Bush.

5) Berlusconi's Obama 'tan' gaffe

President-Elect Obama's victory brought Silvio Berlusconi Italy's gaffe-prone, "colourful" prime minister, who had been re-elected in April, back into the limelight. His comment that Mr Obama was "young, handsome, and tanned" sparked accusations of racism and prompted Mrs Bruni-Sarkozy to say she was glad to have given up her Italian citizenship.

6) Lisbon Treaty

The EU's doomed constitution, resurrected as the Lisbon Treaty after being rejected by the French and Dutch in 2005, hit another obstacle after the Irish voted in a high-turnout referendum on June 12. By the end of the year, an isolated Ireland said its people would be asked again.

7) Radovan Karadzic arrested

Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic, one of the world's most wanted men, was finally arrested in Serbia in July after more than a decade on the run. United Nations tribunal hearings began in The Hague after the notorious Bosnian Serb wartime political leader, who disappeared in 1996, was indicted for genocide over the 1995 massacre at Srebrenica and other war crimes.

8) EU divisions over Kosovo

Most of the world recognised the independence of the new European nation of Kosovo early in the year. But divisions within the EU, led by countries such as Spain, which feared the rise of separatism, overshadowed celebrations in Pristina.

9) Incest horror

Europe was united in horror in April when the shocking Austrian case of Josef Fritzl came to light. Mr Fritzl has been charged with the murder of one of the seven children he fathered with his daughter, now aged 42, who was repeatedly raped after being imprisoned in a basement dungeon in 1984.

10) Austria's Haider dies

Austria came to the end of an era with the death of the far right leader Jörg Haider in a car crash in October. Just a fortnight before his death, Austria's far-right, founded by Mr Haider, had become the country's most powerful political force in elections where mainstream parities had the lowest level of support since the Second World War.